


Always the One

by acclaimedwriter



Category: Casualty (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 21:23:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21483061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acclaimedwriter/pseuds/acclaimedwriter
Summary: Charlie doesn’t want to admit it out loud but Duffy was always the one.
Relationships: Lisa "Duffy" Duffin/Charlie Fairhead
Kudos: 6





	Always the One

Charlie sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck and took another sip of his whiskey. He hadn’t meant to snap at Jade but her comment was out of order. Duffy wasn’t going home early because she was his “missus” but because her shift had ended and he hadn’t asked her to stay on. There was a difference. He knocked back the amber liquid and was about to gain the attention of the bartender when he heard a familiar voice beside him.

“Drinking isn’t going to make everything better.”

Duffy caught the attention of the bartender and ordered a glass of wine and another whiskey.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Where else do you go after a bad shift?” She glanced at him as she took out her purse and handed the bartender a ten pound note.

“How did you know it was a bad shift?”

“I heard from Robyn.” He exhaled deeply and watched the bartender fill his glass with whiskey and place it in front of him before doing the same to Duffy’s glass of wine.

“It’s not Jade’s fault I have dementia.”

“Don’t Duffy!” He said, his words stern as he swirled the liquid around his glass. He knocked back the liquid and ordered another glass. Duffy sighed softly, running her finger along the rim of her glass.

“I think we should tell them.”

He closed his eyes briefly and swallowed. He turned to look at her and shook his head.

“Not yet.”

“You can’t protect me forever.” Duffy replied sadly. It hurt Charlie to hear her say that because he’s always tried to protect her, even when they had only ever been friends.

“Maybe not but I can bloody well try!”

There was a slight tension between the two of them as Duffy just sipped her wine. This was her dementia. It was also her choice to decide who to inform.

“You either let me tell them or you put me back on Clinical duties.”

Charlie scoffed, “I didn’t realise emotional blackmail was your kind of thing.”

“I didn’t realise making your wife look bad was your style either!”

There was an awkward silence between them before Charlie answered, “I’m sorry but I’m not ready for everyone to know yet.”

“Well if you hadn’t have walked away, this would’ve been something we’d dealt with together!”

Charlie laughed bitterly, “If my wife wasn’t such a slapper and dropped her knickers for the first man that paid her a bit of attention, neither of us would be in this mess!”

“Well if my husband chose to shag me every once in a while, I wouldn’t have had to go elsewhere, would I?” Duffy muttered back, finishing the last bit of wine in her glass.

They both placed their glasses down on the bar, neither of them bothering to respond to the other. It was only when Duffy went to move from the barstool that Charlie moved his hand and held her wrist.

“Where are you going?”

“Home. Believe it or not Charlie, having a slanging match in the middle of the pub wasn’t what I had in mind when I joined you for a drink.” She moved her arm from him and picked up her bag from the floor. “You’re welcome to join me for a drink at home, if there’s anything else you’d like to say to me?”

He finished his third glass of whiskey and stood up.

“Can we go for a walk?”

Duffy paused. She was tired, the one thing she wanted was to go home and curl up in bed. However, she found herself agreeing to go for the walk with Charlie. Leaving the pub, the atmosphere was comfortable between the two although Duffy hoped Charlie would talk first, (whilst Charlie hoped Duffy would) A couple of minutes into the silence and the walk, Charlie began to talk.

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged, “it’s fine.”

“No it’s not.” Charlie stopped and turned to face Duffy. He caught her gaze. “I shouldn’t have said what I did about you and Bill.”

She smiled sadly, “l’m sorry too.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she met Charlie’s gaze. He stepped towards her, closing the gap between them. Duffy was about to step back, to give them some distance again but Charlie’s hand came to rest against her cheek, stopping her in her tracks.

“I don’t mean to make you look bad to the team.” He whispered.

“I know.” She whispered back. Deep down, she knew that. Duffy knew he’d gone into denial over her illness, his emotions were clouding his judgement. “I know you’re scared Charlie but please, you have to trust me.”

“I do.” He said sadly as his thumb stroked her cheek.

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

She closed her eyes again as she felt him caress her cheek. She felt content for the first time in a long while. She opened her eyes and found his gaze. It didn’t matter how many times Duffy found herself looking into his eyes, she always got butterflies. Her teeth dug into her lower lip, as she argued with herself about whether to kiss him or not. As much as she wanted too, Duffy knew it wasn’t fair on Charlie. She’d been the one to hurt him, to shatter the illusion she’d been perfect and would never do anything like that.

“Home?” She asked. Home to her was that one bedroom flat, she’d been renting since their separation. She’d never expected Charlie to agree to her request for home, take her hand and lead her home. To their marital home. Stepping through the door, she felt emotional at standing in the hall of the house she loved so dearly.

“Why did you bring me here?”

“Because you said you wanted to go home.” He replied matter of factly, closing the door behind her.

“But I meant…” she trailed off and shrugged. She wasn’t going to protest, she was going to take a moment to appreciate the fact she was in her own home again.

“Tea?”

Duffy nodded as she took a step further into the hall. “Nothing’s changed.” She said quietly as she glanced around. It was like time had stopped still.

“Did you expect it too?” He asked as he walked into the kitchen.

Following him into the kitchen, she bit her lip as she thought. She nodded after a couple minutes silence between the two of them.

“When you said..” She was about to say something when Charlie cut her off, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I.. erm.. shouldn’t have said what I did.”

“You had every right,” she pointed out sadly. “I cheated on you.”

“I know but.. leaving was a bit extreme, wouldn’t you agree?”

She shrugged. “It was what felt right at the time.”

The kettle finished boiling and Charlie took two mugs out of the cupboard. He placed a tea bag in both just as Duffy walked up behind him and placed her hand on his upper back.

“I’m sorry for all this.”

“Ssh, it’s ok.” Charlie reassured as he turned around and placed his hands on either side of Duffy’s cheeks. “I forgive you.”

“Don’t say…” She couldn’t reply as Charlie’s lips captured her own. She felt funny inside. A mixture of butterflies and emotions. He was kissing her? She’d never expected to kiss him again after everything that had happened between them.

“I forgive you.” He said quietly as he opened his eyes and found her gaze. A lone tear rolled down Duffy’s cheek as she tilted her head closer to his hand.

“I can’t do this without you Charlie.”

“I know darling. You’re not on your own anymore. You’re my wife, I intend on taking care of you. Not through pity or anything else but simply out of love, because I love you. I always did.”

Duffy burst into floods of tears and buried herself in Charlie’s chest. Her hand gripped the top of his shirt, the reassurance she needed that he wouldn’t leave her. He planted a kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He paused, “I promise.”

It was a bold statement to make, especially to make a promise when they didn’t know what the future would entail for them both.

It was only later that night, when her hand was tangled with his and she was asleep on his chest, did he realise something. While dementia would take the woman he loved, it would never be able to take away what he felt when he saw the colour green. She’d forever be his green eyed girl… that was one thing dementia couldn’t ever take away from them both.


End file.
